George C Wallace Community College-Dothan — ROI, Cost & Payback
George C Wallace Community College-Dothan charges a net price of $1,170/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $4,680. Median earnings ten years after entry are $31,399, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, George C Wallace Community College-Dothan does not clear its cost — it ranks #39 of 54 Alabama colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $1,170/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $4,680 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $31,399 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$16,961/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$343,900 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on George C Wallace Community College-Dothan's own numbers. Net price $1,170 × 4 years = $4,680 total. Median earnings $31,399 fall $16,961 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $4,680 bill in about 0.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of George C Wallace Community College-Dothan students graduate?
35% finish their degree — 65% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $4,680 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $13,371 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is George C Wallace Community College-Dothan expensive compared with other Alabama colleges?
Its $1,170 net price runs $13,399 below the $14,569 median across the 54 Alabama colleges we profile, and $53,594 less across the full degree.